Nurse Who Injected Child With HIV Blood Denied Bail

Buganda Road Court has declined to release on bail a 64-year-old nurse Rosemary Namubiru who allegedly drew her HIV positive blood and injected it into a toddler in the process of administering treatment.

Rosemary Namubiru

Chief Magistrate Olive Kazaarwe observed that in such a case, bail is only granted at the discretion of the court saying the court cannot be swayed by the mere fact that the suspect is of advanced age and HIV positive to grant her bail.

She added that the charge of attempted murder of an infant is grave in nature.

Earlier the suspect’s lawyer, Bill Mawami pleaded with court to grant his client bail on grounds that she will not secure proper treatment while in prison.

However, court over looked Mawami’s pleas basing on state attorney Lillian Omara submission that Luzira prison has health facilities caring for HIV positive inmates and that the suspect’s life will be in danger if released now on bail, since her case had great impact on to the public.

Namubiru was further remanded to Luzira prison until February 11 when the court will start hearing her case whose investigations are now complete.

Magistrate Kazaarwe said that her case will be heard expeditiously on day to day basis, before asking the prosecution and defense lawyers to get ready.

Prosecution alleges that on January 7, 2014 at Victoria Medical Centre, along Lumumba Avenue in Kampala, Namubiru with intent to unlawfully cause the death of two year-old Mathew Mushabe, pricked her finger and used the same syringe to inject the same child well knowing that she was HIV/Aids positive.

She was arrested after the toddler’s mother raised an alarm, having witnessed blood running down the nurse’s hands as she pricked the child.